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I feel at home here and the staff and the view... - Review of W Washington DC

Sometimes "best" gets thrown around willy nilly... but the staff at the W bring a professional familiarity that is so refreshing in an American hotel. I feel at home here and the staff and the view from POV is simply the "best"

Stayed May 2013, traveled on business

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Thank relee96

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

WHotelDC, Manager at W Washington DC, responded to this review,
May 14, 2013

Hello relee96,

Thank you for your review. We are so happy you love our hotel as much as we do. We do have amazing views of Washington DC from our rooftop bar and The White House. We love offering our signature Whatever/Whenever service to make each of your stays unique. Please let us know when you plan your next escape with Whatever/Whenever you may need.

Best Regards,

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

WHotelDC, Manager at W Washington DC, responded to this review,
May 14, 2013

Hello Lucas C,

Thank you for your review. We are so happy you stayed with us and looking forward to welcoming you back. We do have amazing views from our rooftop and special creations in J&G Steakhouse. Please email when you plan your next trip with Whatever/Whenever you may need, wdcsocial@whotels.com.

Best Regards,

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Let's just get this out of the way: YES, the W has perhaps the best location in all of DC, and the POV rooftop bar has an unparalleled view. We know this. It's absolutely a luxury hotel. The rooms and beds are comfortable, and the customer service is of the "bend over backwards" variety. It's all good.

However, the look and vibe of this ultra-modern, "clubby" hotel is all just a little too...weird. For me, at least. I felt like I was too old to be staying there, or something. The rooms are very dark, and the hallways are even darker. It feels a bit like a gothic horror film. I was excited to be given a room on on the top floor, until I realized it was an interior room, which means you look straight into many other rooms and straight down into the crater of the center of the hotel. They don't give you a coffee maker unless you specifically ask for it, and the room service menu is BEYOND expensive. Most aggravating of all is the extra charge for in-room wireless, which will lose a hotel major points from me EVERY time. Considering what they're charging for a room each night, to be charged an additional $15 for internet seems outrageous, especially since the internet was unreliable and I had to keep reconnecting constantly, sometimes every five minutes. Definitely not worth the price of admission.

All of this is almost made up for by the truly outstanding frosted glass "rain shower" which was one of the best hotel showers I've ever experienced.

Almost. In spite of the shower and the stellar location, I probably wouldn't stay here again.

Room Tip: EXTERIOR. Otherwise you're looking into the pit of the center of the building.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

WHotelDC, Manager at W Washington DC, responded to this review,
May 14, 2013

Hello JP19,

Thank you for your feedback. We do have a great location with walking distance to many major sites in the District. We would like to apologize for the experience you had. We take pride in the service we provide our guests and will be sending your feedback to our General Manager to address. We do offer our guests complimentary fresh coffee in the lobby to help start your day. We hope you will consider our hotel on your next trip to Washington DC. Please email with when you make future plans and Whatever/Whenever you may need, wdcsocial@whotels.com.

Best Regards,

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

W hotels are expensive, eclectic and the DC property fits right in. The location near the White House and the view from the rooftop bar are great. The hotel has some very comfortable rooms and some rooms that are far too small for the price. Be careful to request a room that has the sink inside the bathroom. The lobby bar is noisy but ok except when they have a loud live band or singer playing there. For the price there are several other excellent hotels in the same general area that are more comfortable and with better dining and drinking arrangements.

Room Tip: Ask for a corner suite as an upgrade. They are worth it.

See more room tips

Stayed March 2013, traveled on business

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Thank DLLinDallas

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WHotelDC, Manager at W Washington DC, responded to this review,
May 14, 2013

Hello DLLinDalles,

Thank you for your review. We do have the best location in the District with amazing views of many major landmarks. Because of the historic nature of our hotel we were not able to change the structure of our rooms. But this is what inspired our designers in the styling of our rooms and lobby. We hope you will consider our hotel on your next escape and please let us know Whatever/Whenever you may need.

Best Regards,

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

I know W Hotels are supposed to be kind of funky & cool, but we expected the one across the street from the White House to have comfortable rooms with a nice & normal layout. Or maybe, it's just too funky for our taste. the furniture is white plastic or maybe laquer. The sink portion of the bath room is in the bedroom, not the bathroom. It had minimal counter space and was right next to the luggage stand, so I was constantly worried about getting everything wet. Who puts the sink in the bedroom in a "high" end property?? The actual bathroom is also poorly laid out. It contains the toilet and shower. They give you a robe and it hangs right next to the shower. But you can't open the shower door unless you move the robe hanger. And there is no place in the bathroom for the bath towels. You have to get them from the bedroom and put them on the bathroom floor or throw them over the shower door. The entire layout is so poor that it makes you very uncomfortable.

On the positive side, the service is pretty good. The bellman brought us ice and the hotel offers complementary shoe shines. Too bad they delivered the shoes many hours after they promised them, and then only when we called to find out where they were. The hotel is greatly located, across the street from the White House, and walking distance from many museums and tourist destinations. However, if this room layout is typical for a W property, we won't frequent this brand again.

Room Tip: Try to get a room on a higher floor facing the White House and/or the mall.

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Stayed April 2013, traveled as a couple

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Thank Lori R

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WHotelDC, Manager at W Washington DC, responded to this review,
May 14, 2013

Hello Lori R,

Thank you for your feedback. W’s are known for their modern design mixed with the local culture. Our designers we inspired by the original French Renaissance styling to create a unique destination in Washington DC. Because of the historic nature of our building we were not able to make large changes to the structure of the rooms. We would like to apologize for the experience you had with us. We would love to speak with you more in regards to your stay. Please email us at wdcsocial@whotels.com and let us know Whatever/Whenever you may need.

Best Regards,

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Washington hotels are pricey, once you add the W chain - and one which is opposite the White House (complete with rooftop bar looking onto the same) - you know that you're going to have to dig deep. That said, I love W hotels. The OTT decor, the minimalist bedrooms, bliss spa toiletries, modern sleek look and feel, the effortlessly obsequious staff. All of this is captured in this W hotel. Oddly the decor on the floors made me think they ran out of budget as each floor is brown. Very brown. Monotone brown. I felt like an Umpalumpa sent by Mr Wonka himself to clean the lines. By hand. The lobby is the usual understated W with massive chandeliers, table service and perennially chipper reception staff.

The location is great within moments of the White House and the Washington Monument. You can walk to the Reflecting Pool in 15 mins, the Lincoln Memorial in 20. Jefferson memorial in 20ish. You can make the smithsonian and Holocaust museums in 15. It's all very central. There's a few stores around like CVS, Starbucks, Borders etc. There's little by way of shopping. If you are on business travel, the location is ideal too as the law firms, think tanks etc are all in the area.

The rooftop view is great looking into Washington at night and the drinks are good too.

If you're a big W fan, you may find this one lacking. Just something about it doesn't "pop" as I'm sure the W creative team would put it. There are a lot of hotels in this City but is suspect this one feels a lot less corporate, stuffy and old fashioned as the others. It's the usually W trendy which makes for a break in the area.

Stayed April 2013

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Thank lcollens

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WHotelDC, Manager at W Washington DC, responded to this review,
May 14, 2013

Hello Icollens,

Thank you for your review. We do have the perfect location in downtown Washington with a short walk to many of the major landmarks and businesses. We are happy you love our modern design and W vibe. We love offering our signature Whatever/Whenever service to make each stay unique. We hope to welcome you back soon and please let us know anything you need.

Best Regards,

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We really wanted a hotel that was walking distance from everything and the W had that, plus more. The service was amazing. The moment we walked in the door the employees were very kind and welcoming. Plus, to be greeted with champagne after being delayed several times due to flights and the weather made it that much better! We were upgraded to an amazing room with a view of the White House! Who wouldn't want that? The only down side is the music coming from the club above, but honestly I could barely hear the music, maybe the bass every once and a while. Talk about comfort after a long flight, you just melt into the bed. They are so comfortable and have mood lighting that can make your stay romantic or peaceful as you'd like. We tried the J&G steakhouse it was good. The hamachi sashimi and jumbo crab cake was delectable. As for the tomahawk steak, it left way more than to be desired. Maybe it's because we are from the Midwest and spoiled by our beef but the piece of meat was very fatty and burnt. Defiantly not worth the money. As for the other food, I would highly recommend eating there! Plus, have their vodka thyme lemonade it's a deadly, but very delicious cocktail! The P.O.V. (Point of view) Bar has amazing view from uptop the hotel and fun/ vibrant atmosphere, we would suggest that if you want to have a light meal you have to book in advance because they are busy and I would agree that it's a hot spot for DC. There were many visitors from all over coming to POV! But one great aspect about the hotel is the amazing security, you've gotta have a key to get to your floor. It's very controlled and makes you feel safe. The living room is located in the lobby and offers comfort with chic design that makes you want to cozy up on the couches to listen to the live music at night. We plan on staying here again. Don't just take our word for it try out the W hotel! It's a very busy hotel but you'd never know once you've found your amazing beautiful room.

Stayed May 2013

Value

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Helpful?

Thank Traveling2live

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WHotelDC, Manager at W Washington DC, responded to this review,
May 14, 2013

Hello Traveling2live,

Thank you for your review and your recommendation. We are so happy you stayed with us. We do have the perfect location with walking distance to many of the District’s major landmarks. We hope to welcome you back soon and please email us when you plan your next escape, wdcsocial@whotels.com.

Best Regards,

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Welcome to W Washington DC, a hotel beyond expectations. Next to the White House, the most powerful suits - pinstripes and black lace-rendezvous at W Washington DC, where Italian Renaissance meets modern cool. With commanding rooftop views of major landmarks, W-Gate is all about stately indulgence....more less

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